Fujitsu, Microsoft bring palm vein authentication to Windows 10 Pro

Fujitsu has partnered with Microsoft to offer palm vein authentication as part of Windows Hello, a key biometric authentication feature of Windows 10 that enables people to use their face, iris or fingerprint biometrics to unlock and gain access to Windows 10 devices.

Fujitsu is supplying its PalmSecure technology for this application. PalmSecure uses a near-infrared light to capture a user’s palm vein pattern, creating a unique biometric template that is matched against the palm vein patterns of pre-registered users. The technology only recognizes the palm vein pattern if blood is actively flowing within the individual’s veins, eliminating the chance of forgery.

In a Windows blog post, the company explained that to use PalmSecure, all users need to do is: “Place your hand above the sensor. The sensor will read your unique vein map. Once identity is confirmed, you are logged in.”

Windows 10 Pro devices supporting PalmSecure technology are now only offered for the workplace. There is no word yet on a consumer launch.

Last month Fujitsu began rolling out a large-scale deployment of its PalmSecure palm vein authentication technology within the company replacing password-based authentication used by approximately 80,000 employees in Japan to access their virtual desktops.